c. 1820s Georgian Chased Floral Band

A gorgeous c. 1820s late Georgian gold band, profusely decorated with chased floral scrolls in continuous low relief, of solid 15k gold and weighing 5.5 grams. The chasing workmanship is quite fine, combining depth of texture with attention to details. Various sentimental flora have been worked into the design: asters as talismans of love (the herb of Venus); hollyhocks for fertility; carnations for piety or affection; oak leaves for strength and longevity. Heavily chased floral designs were a hallmark of 1820-30s design. Gold bands of this type likely functioned as guard, promise, and wedding rings. A chased floral band illustrated on page 78 of Verlaine Davies’ “Rings 1800-1910” bears a hallmark for 1839, suggesting it was a wedding ring (most pre-1840 British rings were not hallmarked unless intended for mourning or weddings). The sentimental nature of these gold bands are rooted in the posy rings of late 16th – early 17th centuries. A 1710s posy ring in the British Museum (1961,1202.35) shows a remarkably similar chased floral design throughout its outer hoop; its essential composition can be seen as an earlier prototype of the present ring.
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